Dance advertisements and body shaming

Re Ad ban no laughing matter for Toronto

comedy club, Nov. 4 Who the hell sets the “standards” for the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, and what are they meant to protect us from? Given our experience, the implementation of these standards seems to be arbitrary, to say the least.

In 2014, Opera Atelier ran giant subway posters for our production of Lully’s Persée, and there were no issues raised whatsoever. No one could possibly think our image (which depicted virtually naked dancers in a pool of water) would reflect exactly what audience members would see on the Elgin Theatre stage.

Wouldn’t it be better if we strived to set “standards” by which we no longer felt ashamed of our bodies? Marshall Pynkoski, co-artistic director, Opera Atelier, Toronto Re In defence of TTC ballet ads, Letter Nov. 2 While I am in agreement that the ballet ads on the TTC are acceptable, I am disappointed in some of the language of the letter writers.

They are being size-ist and do not understand that health can come in many sizes and shapes.

Just because someone is “fat” does not mean they are unhealthy. In fact, someone can be in the overweight category on the BMI scales and be even healthier than someone who fits in the “normal” range.

It is degrading to suggest to someone that just because they are overweight that they should “get a treadmill.” You cannot tell what is a healthy body just by looking at it. Jessica Tavares, Toronto